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Searching For Good Ways to Approach the Media
It has been less than a year since I began my Falun Dafa cultivation. In the
past few months I joined in efforts to spread Dafa [hongfa] and
Fa-rectification activities. I was in a passive mode when I performed my duties.
I was a follower, doing what was needed during large-scale hongfa activities and
a casual participant in smaller scale activities. I felt obligated to
participate, so I participated, but I primarily assisted others. I failed to
realize that hongfa is my responsibility as a practitioner. Since I did not like
to use any formality to hongfa, I had been working as a loner and separated
myself from the entire process of Fa-rectification. Now, I would like to talk
about my understanding of media communications and also to share my cultivation
experience creating a literary project, which could be a reference for other
practitioners. Please offer your suggestions to improve my work. á
1. Create opportunities to approach the media to our advantage.á
My husband and I often discuss about how to hongfa more efficiently. We also
feel that our hongfa activities fall into a format, which isolate the
practitioners from the ordinary people around us. Although practitioners have
tried many ways to open up the channels to approach the media, the media has not
yet been brought into full play. Many ordinary people are exposed to Falun Dafa
in parades and flyers we hand out. As a media saying goes: "You have to
chase the news, and make a piece of news into the media focus." In modern
society, the media spreads information. In order to approach the media
effectively, we must first clarify the truth of Falun Dafa to the media
professionals. This is because the government does not control the media in
western countries. Take newspapers as an example. Each paper has its own policy,
and every story it runs, regardless of its length, represents its own intention
and opinion. Thus, we have to be in touch with the media no matter whether it is
a headline or local news. These people are very important. They have their
cluster of readers and viewers that favor their articles and programs. Once
these important media people understand the righteousness of Falun Dafa in their
minds, they will spread the Fa positively. This will be a crucial breakthrough.
But how can we spread the Fa to them effectively? I don't think we lack any
advantage. We can organize a special team to contact people in the literary and
artistic fields and to explore new approaches to get to know people working in
the media. We can produce video programs on specific topics, report
practitioners' achievements in the fields of science and technology and reveal
their lives as Falun Dafa practitioners. The report on practitioners'
achievements would enable ordinary people to understand how the practitioners
regard success in their careers and how they lead their lives outside their
work. Kindhearted people will be inspired by hearing of a new way of life and
renewed moral standards.
Let me tell you about something that is happening. We can discuss it and
share our ideas and opinions. á
Our daughter won a prize in a children's picture book coloring contest held
by a Chinese newspaper. We took her to accept the prize on the weekend. After
the ceremony, my husband and I wanted to talk with the staff of the Chinese
newspaper and show our appreciation for sponsoring the contest. We were so
fortunate because the people we spoke with were the owner and Chief Editor.
While my husband discussed some issues about the newspaper's business operations
with the owner, I spoke with the Chief Editor about the format on the special
column of the newspaper. The Chief Editor spoke about how Chinese people had
promoted Chinese culture through the newspaper while I spoke about my interest
in traditional Chinese culture and ways to introduce it to western society
through schools and other social organizations. I gradually led our discussion
from westerners' interest in Chinese culture to their interest in studying Falun
Gong. In the end, I spoke about their concern of the persecution of Falun Gong
practitioners in China. The Editor-In-Chief showed a strong interest. My husband
also expressed his opinion on the future of news reporting and newspapers and
provided the newspaper with reliable news sources. We had a very good
conversation with them. The Editor-In-Chief remarked that my husband's ideas
were so fresh and his thoughts so clear that she would like to invite him to be
the paper's consultant! I was so happy, not because he was offered this
position, but because of the things we could do to promote Dafa if the position
were to materialize. The Chief Editor also said that she wanted to interview me.
I gave her some information about a local community group I knew that had an
interest in Chinese culture. I was sure she would learn a lot about the
situation in China from the western people, especially about the persecution of
Falun Gong once she interviewed that group. I believe the viewpoint on China
from western people would sound more attractive to the readers than that
expressed by me, a Chinese. They were delighted to hear about our soon to be
published novel. They had been looking for a writer from Mainland China in
Florida for a newspaper function. Now they had found one without much effort.
They immediately invited us to the function. My husband and I smiled at each
other because we knew that it would be a wonderful opportunity to hongfa. Even though we did not tell the editor directly that we were practitioners, we took the opportunity to clarify the truth from an angle that they could accept. From this
experience, I feel that the more naturally we behave, the easier the job
arranged by Master Li is done. That is simply the power of Dafa. á
2. Do not neglect individual cultivation practice while doing hongfa
worká
Now, Let me talk about how I practice cultivation along with my work in
literature.á
Master Li mentioned in his article: "Path," "A
cultivator has no role models. The path each person take is different..." I
understood that Dafa created my life, so I should fully play my role as a
particle in Dafa. Since the path each person takes is different, the duties each
person has are also different. How could I put myself to best use according to
my own abilities? How could I devote myself to the process of the
Fa-rectification? This is the way Fa-rectification disciples should think.
I'm not a professional writer, nor have I had any professional training. My
work in literature originates from the experiences in my life. Since I became a
practitioner, I have seen and felt Dafa's power and glory. Although I do not
outwardly show much enthusiasm and passion, I have experienced the rebirth of my
body and spirit in Dafa. What Falun Dafa practitioners have done in their
cultivation touches me and inspires me every moment, which is also the source of
my literary work.
The trip to Geneva this past March deeply moved me. The rain in Geneva gave
me the framework for my screenplay. I have never produced a screenplay before.
That rainy day in Geneva made me determined to create one. The image of
practitioners meditating in the rain is in my mind constantly. I understood the
unparalleled artistic effect of such a film and that it would be unparalleled in
effectively promoting the Fa. Art comes from real life and refines real life. A
masterpiece is not written by hand, but by heart. I started writing the
screenplay with the above ideas.á
I collected a large amount of materials from the Minghui website and from a
veteran Chinese practitioner who happened to live near me. I learned a lot of
what has been happening from her. I learned how practitioners' understandings
and the situation of Falun Dafa in China have changed and shifted. Now I could
objectively reveal the real people and their real thoughts in my play. Only
realistic content can offer real value and create a masterpiece.
After the first step was finished, my husband borrowed many books about
screenplay writing from the library for me to read. He asked me to write in
Hollywood style. It gave me a big headache when I read those books. I realized
that I couldn't read them anymore. First, my English is not very good, so it
would take me forever to read them. Second, I couldn't follow the format. Third,
I had no intention and desire to please the audience with the fast and
emotionally provocative scenes depicted nowadays in movies. My passion to be a
playwright stems from Dafa and what I want to manifest precisely is the
portrayal of what Dafa has brought to people. I'm writing with my heart, not my
hand. After I sorted out these issues, I threw away any existing formats that
could only limit my writing and began writing as it came to me naturally.
The writing came even smoother than I had expected. When I fully devoted
myself to the writing, the project became even easier and smoother. The
continual pieces coming forth from my mind gave me the confidence to finish it.
I understand that it is not due to my individual talent and ability, but from
the strength I have received from beyond my own capability. Who gave me the
passion to produce the play? Who propelled me with a brave heart to take on the
job? I was fully aware the project did not belong to me, but to Dafa. Using
wisdom from Dafa, I am able to depict positive and negative sides of human
nature in my play, uplifting morality and revealing the truth.
After the screenplay was done, I felt relief and a sense of freedom. I
thought it was time to publish it. Attachments to fame, self-interest and the
pursuit of success sprouted in my heart. I had a strong desire to publish the
work as soon as possible, but it was strange that I couldn't find any
practitioner to work with me on publishing it. I was disappointed and
unsatisfied with others. When this attachment emerged, my project suffered and
no further progress was made. I spoke with some practitioners and exchanged
differing views. I realized that I was in the middle of a xinxing test.
In each conflict with others, I was only searching outwardly for the faults and
shortcoming of others instead of searching for my attachments. Cultivating my
own heart is the right way in cultivation practice! After I relinquished my
attachment to personal success and achievement, many problems were solved
immediately in a smooth manner.
Now, I am no longer attached to my own so-called achievement. I only think of
how to do well steadfastly. I tell myself: don't wait, don't rely on others, do
whatever I can. With this mentality, my mind is even more open than before.
After the project is completed, I will look for help from others. After the
lyrics were finished, I didn't mind when I couldn't find a composer. So, I feel
even more relaxed and free with my creativity. Practitioners from other states
said pushing me to do something was no longer the case, but the other way
around. I really appreciated the encouragement practitioners gave me in each
step of my cultivation. The encouragement enabled me to change from a passive
practitioner to an active one in promoting Dafa to others. This is part of the
process whereby Dafa practitioners improve themselves as a whole. á
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